Oregon chief justice fires panel due to lack of public defenders
Source: Associated Press
Oregon justice fires panel due to lack of public defenders
By ANDREW SELSKY
August 15, 2022
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s chief justice fired all the members of the Public Defense Services Commission on Monday, frustrated that hundreds of defendants charged with crimes and who cannot afford an attorney have been unable to obtain public defenders to represent them.
The unprecedented action comes as Oregon’s unique public defender system has come under such strain that it is at the breaking point. Criminal defendants in Oregon who have gone without legal representation due to a shortage of public defenders filed a lawsuit in May that alleges the state is violating their constitutional right to legal counsel and a speedy trial.
In a letter to the commission members, Chief Justice Martha Walters pointed out that their duty is to “ensure that Oregon provides public defense services consistent with the Oregon Constitution, the United States Constitution, and Oregon and national standards of justice.”
“Unfortunately, it is now clear that it is time to reconstitute the current commission,” she said.
Oregon’s public defender system is the only one in the nation that relies entirely on contractors: ...
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-oregon-lawsuits-united-states-365f7b3a2c4057cf1a16705c1acdc347